


random barchie fanfiction

by DelenaFanGirl



Series: barchie fanfiction [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:13:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24420376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DelenaFanGirl/pseuds/DelenaFanGirl
Summary: So this is my first fanfiction ever..please don't be too hard on me haha...also I don't know where this is all going to be honest...I just got inspired and that's what came out of it...mabye it will lead up to a story but idk yet..for now it's just random barchie scenes that come into my mind♥︎
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper
Series: barchie fanfiction [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1763524
Comments: 20
Kudos: 120





	1. goodbye

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ohlittlebarchie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohlittlebarchie/gifts).



> So this is my first fanfiction ever..please don't be too hard on me haha...also I don't know where this is all going to be honest...I just got inspired and that's what came out of it...mabye it will lead up to a story but idk yet..for now it's just random barchie scenes that come into my mind♥︎

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty finds out about Archie leaving and confronts him...

Betty stormed into his room. "You weren't gonna leave without saying goodbye…were you?"

Archie lowered his eyes and stared at his sneakers. No answer was needed. His silence already told her everything she needed to know.

"Arch?"

"I'm sorry Betty, I…" but she didn't let him finish.

"Why? Just tell me why!"

He raised his head and looked her in the eyes "You know why!"

Betty froze. She had a pretty good idea of what he was going to say and it scared her. A little part of her wanted to hear him say it but another, bigger part couldn't believe all this. Couldn't believe that after all those years of waiting for him to finally notice her and making a move, he might actually feel the same way. For years she dreamed of a moment like this, knowing it will probably never happen. So why couldn't she just be happy and accept it?

"Ever since we were kids, through all these years of our friendship a part of me always knew…"

Betty cut him off again. "Three years ago, I poured my heart out to you. I asked you if you love me and you didn't want me!"

"I was an idiot, Betty. I didn't know what I want!" Archie's words hit her right in the heart. He wanted her. Archie Andrews wanted her, Betty Cooper. Even if she already knew, he had feelings for her, hearing him admit it was something completely different.

Of course she wanted him too but she wasn't a hundred percent convinced that all this was real or just some figment of her imagination.

"And now you do?" she demanded.

"There hasn't been a day since then, that I didn't regret what I did. I know I messed up. And I know you love Jughead, but I just can't forget what happened. Can you?"

Was he being serious? Forget _him_? She could never forget him. After he rejected her sophomore year, she tried everything to get him out of her head – but nothing seemed to work. Sure, she fell in love with Jughead in the process but deep deep down she knew, she would always be in love with Archie.

It wasn't fair to stay with him if she had strong feelings for someone else. Especially considering the one she couldn't stop thinking about was his best friend _and_ the boyfriend of her best friend. It was wrong giving into her feelings. She should've never kissed him, not the night they chased down the black hood nor a couple weeks ago when they rehearsed in Archie's garage. But she just got swept away by her emotions.

And it didn't help either that they had to pretend to be a couple to convince the world Jughead was dead. What did she think? Of course holding hands and kissing him all the time would remind her of what could've been.

Cheryl was right, being with Archie was a fantasy. A fantasy she had for years but that didn't mean her feelings weren’t real. Even though they pretended to date, everything felt so real. And until that moment in his garage, she tried to convince herself that all of this was only an act but now she knew it wasn't. Not for him and definitely not for her.

She didn't want to admit it to herself but there was no denying the truth anymore. Eventually she'd have to deal with her feelings for Archie – but now was not that time.

"We have to, Arch. This is the worst timing and you're right, I love Jughead! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" 

"I tried to, so many times, but you never let me speak." he answered frustrated. "And you were happy and that was all that mattered." he added softly. "Goodbye, Betty."

Archie kissed her forehead and turned to leave.

Betty wanted to scream "No Arch, don't leave. I _love_ you." But the words got caught in her throat. So she just watched him leave.

When would she see him again? Would she ever see him again? And would should she do about Jughead? She still hadn’t told him and all this was too much to handle. She sank to the floor and began crying. This was not how she had imagined their goodbye.

***

There was a reason he didn't tell Betty he was leaving for the navy today, but he should've known she'd find out herself eventually. He didn't know what to say to her. There were so many things he wanted to tell her but he knew he probably shouldn't.

Like the fact the only reason he decided to join the navy in the first place was _her_. After she turned him down in the bunker, he just couldn't stay in Riverdale anymore. Even if Betty would go to Yale soon, this town would forever remind him of her.

This had to be the worst year of his entire life. First his dad died in a car accident died and then this. He never intended to hurt anyone. He loved Veronica and he respected Jughead, but he just couldn't help it. No matter what he did, how many other girls he dated over the past years, they never made him feel this way. None of them came even close to his connection with Betty.

It was something he couldn't explain or understand. Being with her just felt so good, so right. It felt like he was _meant_ to be with her.

In the bunker she said they always felt safe with each other and that was true, but his feelings for her also consumed him in a way he never thought possible. Maybe that was the reason he rejected her back then. He never fully understood why he did what he did.

Maybe a part of him was scared that he'd ruin her, his perfect girl next door or that he would mess it up eventually, like he messed everything up. Having her in his life was better than not having her in his life at all.

Or maybe that little boy inside him that got rejected by her all those years ago still couldn't process those deep consuming feelings for the girl next door and pushed them down. And even if those buried feeling resurfaced now and then, he never allowed himself to give in to them.

There was this one time, when Betty kissed him in the car in front of Cheryl's house but as soon as she'd started it, she stopped it. They never spoke of it ever again. Nothing changed. Betty got back with Jughead and he reunited with Veronica.

At the time he really thought that's what he wanted, being with Veronica and all of them being happy. He however caught himself growing jealous of Jughead from time to time. He never thought of _acting_ on his feelings though. He was with Veronica and she was with Jughead. And if Jughead made her happy, he didn't want to destroy everything. Archie wasn't even sure if Betty still liked him that way.

When they made everyone believe they were in a relationship to help Jughead, he started realizing his feelings were coming back and there was nothing he could do about it. Even Ronnie noticed. He always lied to her when she asked about it, lied to himself.

But now, that he knew who his heart really belonged to, he couldn't ignore it anymore. It had always been Betty. And it would probably _always_ be her.

Looking back most of his songs were about her. He just didn't realize it. The song he sang to her the day after the dance, "Moments I Remember" and of course, the song he wrote after their kiss.

For years he had abandoned his guitar. No matter how he tried, he couldn't write a single word. But after the passionate kiss during the "Origin of Love" performance, inspiration hit him, and he _finally_ managed to write another song. He couldn't stop thinking about her after and all the chords and words just came to him. He'd never written such a romantic and true song before – "Carry the Torch."

The song expressed his feelings better than he ever could. When he was finished, he couldn't wait to play it for her. He was convinced she'd like it, but he didn't even get the chance to play her the whole thing. She didn't let him.

Just like she never let him finish a single sentence, whenever he led their conversation in that direction. It was hopeless. He loved her – had always love her but she had moved on. She was in a happy relationship with someone else and he knew it was his fault.

He had his chance but he messed it up and now it was too late. Seeing her with Jughead everyday killed him and he didn't want to explain why he suddenly chose to join the navy.

What was he supposed to say? The truth? No way. She would notice something was wrong and ask him, and he didn't want to lie her. That's why he didn't tell her about it. But she found out anyway and now she knew. He literally told her his biggest regret - rejecting her - and she was smart enough to figure the rest out. But before she could reply, he left. He wasn’t ready to face her reaction. He couldn't deal with getting rejected by her again. That was the whole point of him leaving Riverdale and joining the navy.

He was running away.


	2. letterman jacket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty is alone in Archie's room after their goodbye...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So glo @origincflcve tweeted this "I NEED BETTY TO WEAR ARCHIE’S LEATHERMAN JACKET OR AT LEAST SMELL IT CUZ HE LEFT IT BEHIND & ALREADY LEFT & SHE IS HAVING A BREAKDOWN" and it inspired me to write a scene about it also since I wrote the goodbye scene I wanted to write a scene with Betty being alone in Archie's room....it was perfect to combine it...

So that was it, huh? That's how their story would end. After Archie left, Betty just couldn't bring herself to get up and go home. So she’s had been sitting on the floor of his room ever since.

She couldn't believe what had just happened. Archie was about to tell her anything she waited to hear. For more than 10 years now. All her dreams could've come true. She could've gotten her happy ending.

But instead, she let him go. It was kind of ironic - three years ago, it was Archie who let her walk way after he basically told her that they'd never be anything more than friends.

At least that's what she got out of it. But now she knew that was not what he meant. He really thought she'd be too perfect for him and didn't want to risk their friendship.

Even though that's exactly what he told her then, she somehow thought it was just some lame excuse. Something he told her so she would feel better and less rejected. Her younger self was too hurt to really understand his reaction. And now she did. Oh, she understood him so much now!

They've been best friends since they'd first met each other and he invited her to listen to his dad's records. They'd been through so much together since then. She was there for him when his mom left, which was such a hard time for Archie. And he was there for her when the black hood played his sick games with her - her own father.

Betty still hated her father. She hated him so much. There was no way she could ever forgive him for what he did. To Mr. Andrews, herself and the whole town. Others would've distanced themselves from her family, but not Archie or his dad. Arch even tried to console her even despite everything her father did to his dad.

When her mother threatened to expose Ms. Grundy, she knew Archie would get hurt so she stopped her mother. She told her that no matter what, she'd always be friends with Archie. Was that still true? Would their friendship survive all this?

Betty looked around her at Archie's room. Everything was the same except for the place above his desk. He had taken the pictures off the wall. All the pictures of their childhood were gone too. It was like they had never existed.

It felt weird being in Archie's room without him. Something was missing. He was missing.

So many times they’d hung out here - almost every day for the past ten years.

And when they had a fight over some stupid thing, they'd always wait for the other to calm down and look out the window. Archie couldn't stay mad at her for long and neither could she. It didn't matter how angry and hurt she was by something he did or said, in the end she'd always walk up to her window. Hoping he'd be standing there, waiting for her.

All it ever took to reconcile, was one look. One look, and everything was forgotten. It didn't matter who started the fight, or who made the first step toward the other, they were always able to fix it. But this time it wouldn't be that easy. They didn't exactly fight, but there were so many things left unsaid and it felt like somehow, she had lost him.

Slowly, she got up and walked towards his window. Betty starred out the window into her own room. In her mind she saw herself on the other side. She was touching her window and looking at herself straight in the eye. She flashbacked to the night after their kiss in his garage.

Jughead had just left and she was having a breakdown over what she did and guilt took her over. She had felt so horrible about kissing Archie that day. Well, they didn't just kiss - they went all out and made out. She couldn't remember how long, but after what felt like an eternity, they both pulled away. Without saying anything, she had rushed out of the garage. She couldn't face him after that.

It wasn't only guilt because of the kiss. No, it was also because she wanted to kiss him again. She wanted to taste his lips and wrap her her arms around him. Gosh, she wanted that so bad. And there was so much more she wanted. But she could never let it happen again. Ever.

At least that's what she promised herself. For everyone's sake.

Even though she knew she probably shouldn't, she ended up in front of her window. Looking at the boy next door. Just like so many times before. Veronica was with him.

She watched them for while. How could she do this to Veronica? Her best friend. She'd be so furious and hurt, once she found out. Both Jughead and V would be. She prayed that day would never come.

After a while she saw Veronica leaving and Arch hitting his punching bag. Then their eyes had met, and he had walked toward her and placed his hand on the window. A reflection of herself seconds later.

She couldn't escape his look. It was so intense, so longing. So shockingly longing. It made her forget everything and anyone else. In this moment, it was just the two of them.

Archie felt so near but at the same time he was so far apart. Unreachable for her. Oh, how much she had wished things were different. How much she had wished she could just go to him through the window. But she couldn't.

Betty only realized she was still touching the pane of glass when her hands started getting cold. She put her hands down and turned around.

She wanted to leave but suddenly she noticed something on the chair next to her. Something blue and yellow, his letterman jacket. He must've forgotten it.

She didn't really know why, but she took the jacket from the chair and put it on. She inhaled his smell and started to cry again. This smell was so familiar to her. If only he would be here right now embracing her, instead of just having his jacket. But it was the only thing left of him. He left it behind, just like he left her behind.

In the past Archie ran after her so many times, so she thought he'd turn around and come back. But he didn't and she let him. She didn't even try to stop him, she just stood there.

Betty cowered on the floor again, Archie’s letterman jacket wrapped around her body. Suddenly her phone started ringing.  _ Arch, _ she thought as she answered, but instead she heard Jug's voice.

"Where are you? I've been trying to reach you."

She had completely forgotten about him. They were supposed to meet with Charles to go through the tapes again. They still hadn't figured out who was sending them and why.

"My mom needed my help, I'm sorry, I forgot to text you, Jug." she answered.

She hated lying to him.

"So you're home now?" Jughead wanted to know.

"Emm, I'm in my room right now. I'm going to Charles’ right now. Meet you there?"

"No, I'm on my way. I should be there in a couple minutes." he insisted and hung up.

Betty got up in a hurry. In her rush she almost stumbled over her own feet. As fast as possible she ran down the stairs, almost stumbling again. Betty opened the door and rushed out, while closing it behind her.

She had to somehow make herself look normal again. Jug couldn't see her like this. There was no possible explanation she could give him. With both hands she tried to wipe all the tears off her face and put on a smile.

She searched her mind for something, anything she could tell Jughead. There was no doubt, he would notice something was off. She was thinking and thinking but somehow her head was empty.

Betty had just arrived at her house, when she saw a familiar silhouette appearing on her left. Jughead.

"Hi. We just got another tape. Charles and I wanted to wait for you to watch….wait. Is that Archie's jacket you're wearing?"

She knew in that moment that now was the time to tell him the truth. She had been afraid of it for weeks. Years. She loved him. No matter what she felt for Archie, she still loved Jughead and the thought of losing him scared her. But she couldn't lie to him any longer.

"Jug, we have to talk..." she said, terrified of what was to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to describe more how she went to her house in the end but I still don't know where Betty and Archie's houses are excatly placed to the other...I tried to find out but it's so confusing..like the houses they use in Riverdale are not even in the same street and combined with the shoot and everything I couldn't manage to find out unfortunately..even if I spent an some hours figuring it out instead of continue writing haha...maybe someday I'll understand how they're placed..at least I hope so...
> 
> I still don't know how this will contiue...but as long as I'm inspired I'll keep writing scenes...maybe some of you have suggestions for scenes...


	3. possibilities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years after their goodbye...Betty comes in her room at Yale and unexpectedly finds Archie there waiting for her...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the last chapter ended kinda on a cliffhanger but I just don't know Jughead's character so well that I could pull of writing their breakup also this is a barchie fanfiction...

"Hey Amber, I'm sorry I bumped into Alex on my way…" but it wasn't her roommate who stood in her room. No. It wasn't her at all. It was a young and very attractive redheaded man. Standing just five feet away. She knew him - she had known him almost all her entire life. Betty suddenly dropped her bag and ran to him.

"Arch!" she squealed as she embraced him tightly. "I missed you."

Archie answered a little surprised, "Eh yeah I missed you too, Betty."

When it fully hit her, what she just did, her face suddenly turned red.  _ Oh my god _ . Why did she react like that? Sure, she hadn't seen him in 2 years but still, she could've done it more subtly. They didn't really had much contact after Archie had left for the Navy.

Considering how their goodbye had went, she didn't know how to write him or call him. She didn't know what to say.

After a couple months it was Archie who had broken the silence. It wasn't much, just small talk.

  
  


_ Hey Betty, how are you? _

_ Hi Archie, I'm fine U? _

_ Fine too. How is Yale? _

_ It's good. Navy? _

_ Yeah, good too. _

And that was it. Another few months of not talking passed until he texted her again.

_ Hey what's up? _

_ Not much, just studying and writing for the Yale Daily News. U? _

_ Same. I just got a new roommate yesterday. _

_ Oh that's great. How is he? _

_ He's fine I guess. _

_ Okay, great. _

_ Yeah. _

  
  


There was so much more she had wanted to write but she was unable to. It was like their unbreakable bond they head for years was slowly staring to break apart. And she didn't like it at all.

She wanted to have their old friendship back but there wasn’t much she could do. With every day, every week and every month that went by, the distance between them got bigger and bigger. Not only that they lived in different cities now. Their emotional distance also grew and she started to think about old times.When their lives were less complicated and when they could talk about everything. Not that they talked about anything really, these days.

On his birthday, it was Betty who texted him.

"Hi Arch. Happy Birthday."

She had thought he'd maybe try to keep their conversation going this time. But no, it seemed like he tried to achieve the exact opposite."

"Hey Betty, thanks!"

They hadn't talked or texted since. And seeing him after all that time, she just got a little overwhelmed. She had missed him so much and now he was in her dorm. Just standing there, in front of her window.

Betty pulled away.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"Is there a place we can get a milkshake?" he replied

"Yeah, sure. It's just a couple minutes away from here."

"Okay great, we can talk there."

***

"So how's your milkshake?" Betty looked expectantly at Archie. This was weird. Just weird. She hoped that their friendship or what was left of it wouldn't be like this forever. It would be a nightmare.

"It's delicious but not as good as Pop's of course." Archie smirked at her.

Oh, how she had missed his smile. She had butterflies in her stomach - and oh, his freckles. She had always loved those freckles.

Archie slowly took her hand. It was just like the time at Pop's when they pretended to date. He looked her deep in the eye and began to speak.

"Look Betty, I came here to apologize." he paused, apparently trying to find the right words to say. "I'm sorry Betty. For what happened. I'm sorry about everything." he paused again, ran his hand through his hair.

"I shouldn't have kissed you, I shouldn't have written this song for you. I'm sorry. You were happy with Jughead and it was wrong to do it. It ruined our friendship. You remember sophomore year, when I told you it would be better in the long run?"

Of course she remembered. How could she ever forget? She nodded.

"Yeah Archie, I remember."

"So I was scared that something awful would happen between us and I'd lose you." he said in a different much softer and more silent tone. Not that I could prevent that from happening…" he added.

Wow, so the kiss was that bad. He seemed to very enjoy it then.

"Oh no." he insisted "I didn't mean it like that." Archie took her hands again. "Of course, I didn't mean it like that Betty."

Betty didn't know what to expect. If only she could read his mind now. Would he now finally make a move after all this years? Would they now really get their chance?

"Anyway, I just wanted to say that we should just forget about all that, just like you said."

Betty's hopes suddenly faded. This didn't sound like something she wanted to hear. Not at all.

"You were right. I think we should just leave it all behind and be friends again. I miss my best friend."

So he wanted to be friends again. Great. That was just great.

Even though she knew that she should be happy, that was not what she felt. Sure, she had missed her best friend too but he was so much more than that. He _always_ had been.

"Betty." Archie asked "Don't you wanna say something?"

"Em, right, of course. Friends. Friends is good." she answered.

Archie started to smile again. "Great. so how's working for the Yale Daily News? I bet they love you. "

***

  
  


Despite everything, it was a great evening. They had talked the entire time. In the student bar and on their way back to Betty's dorm. Just like old times again. Archie promised himself that he would never allow so much distance to come between them again. He wasn't sure he'd survive a second time.

After what felt like seconds, they arrived at her door. She fished her keys out of her tiny bag.

"So here we are." Betty noticed.

"Here we are." he confirmed.

Betty began to play with the keys and slowly tippled in his direction. Very slowly. She stopped. There was very little space left between them. It felt like a compensation for the last three years. Like they wanted to make up for the distance. Emotionally and physically.

Archie lowered his head. He was looking directly at her lips now.  _ Oh my god _ . He could not keep his eyes of them. Archie bit his lips. He wanted to kiss her now. He wanted to kiss her so bad.

He had just told her earlier that they should be friends. What was he thinking? He could never only be her friend. Not when her closeness made him feel this way. How could he ever let her go away?

These past two years he could not stop thinking about her. No matter how hard he tried. Joining the Navy couldn't keep his mind of her. He had hoped it would distract him and he could go on with his life, like nothing ever happened. But it didn't. Not really.

They've been standing like this for what seemed like forever now, but couldn’t have been more than two minutes. Without moving. His heartbeat was so fast and loud that her was sure she had to hear it. He swallowed. He had to do something. Anything.

***

  
  


Betty couldn't move. She had forgotten the effect this redheaded boy had on her. He was standing so close. It felt so intimate. His lips only five inches away. She wanted to get lost in those lips and be swept away. In this moment, there was nothing she wanted more. But that was not what Archie wanted...or did he, maybe?

It had only been 2 hours since he friendzoned her. Again. But if he didn't want anything more than friendship from her, the why did he allow this closeness between them? This tension?

Only friends shouldn't be so close. Only friends shouldn't look at you the way he was looking at her now. Only friends shouldn't stare at each others lips. Only friends. Only friends. Only…

Damn it. Last time they were this close, they kissed. It wasn't just a kiss, man it was a  _ kiss _ . It happened before, but not like that. And Betty craved for another one. She needed it right now.

Maybe that why she didn't immediately unlock the door when they arrived. Maybe that's why she had walked towards him. She couldn't do anything about it, her feet had just developed a life of their own. Before she knew, she was trapped in the moment.

Betty finally managed to take her gaze off his lips, just to get lost in his eyes.

  
  


***

  
  


Archie noticed that Betty now glanced at his eyes and their gazes interlocked. He was astonished, how one person could spark such a desire in him.

His head started moving towards her. Archie was about to kiss her but suddenly he hesitated. Was that really the right thing to do? They had just reunited after two years of silence. He knew that if he started, he would never be able to stop.

What if Betty didn't even like him like that anymore? Sure, she had kinda started this. But maybe she was just nervous because they hadn't spent time with each other for so long.

If that was the case and he kissed her, it would get awkward again and he was not willing to lose her again.

Before he could do something stupid, like giving in to his desire, he quickly kissed her cheek and tried to get as much distance between them as possible.

"I should go." he said "It's late and I have to catch the last bus or I'll be stuck here till tomorrow."

***

  
  


"Or you could just stay the night." Betty thought, confused about what just almost happened.

Or did she misinterpret the situation earlier? She could've sworn Archie wanted it too but now she was not so sure anymore. She was disappointed. A cheek kiss. She had hoped for more, much more.

"I mean, yeah, you're right. Goodbye, Arch." she answered deflated.

"Goodbye, Betty. Nice seeing you again."

_ Yeah it was. _ she added in her mind.  _ It was. _ She wasn’t sure how to feel.

Betty waited until Archie disappeared behind the corner before she went inside. What a night.

***

"So nothing happened?" Amber asked twenty minutes later. "Cause it sure didn't look like nothing to me."

"Yes, no…I don't know." Betty answered, still confused. "Wait, you observed?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, but wow that boy sure has thing for you. Are you sure you're only friends?" Amber wanted to know.

"Betty? Are you sure that's all you are?"

"I don't know…I mean I think we are but maybe we're not…I don't know." Betty replied frustrated.

"He's giving me all those mixed signals. One moment I think something could really happen between us. The next it seems like it's all in my head. I don't know." Betty sighed.

"So you're telling me this boy wrote a song for you, was ready to risk everything for you and then came all the way here after two years to see you, almost kissed you and you still think he could not be interested?" Amber summarized.

"He didn't, he just kissed my cheek. That's all. He's not.."

Amber interrupted her "He's not what? Wow, Betty how can someone be so smart but so blind? That boy loves you. I saw the way he looked at you!"

"No, he doesn't. He told me, he only wants to be friends again. He doesn't like me like that. Not anymore."

"Betty." Amber shook her. "That boy is crazy about you. Eyes don't lie."

Betty was not as optimistic as Amber. "Then why won’t he ever make a move?" she almost screamed.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Amber shook her head. "He did, so many times, you just never allowed yourself to accept it. And maybe it's the same for him. You two keep going in circles. You're so afraid of being rejected again that you're unable to see it. Open your eyes, Betty. He loves you!" now it was Amber who was screaming.

"Yeah, I know. As friends. He told me that before." Betty stated.

"No! Urgh, Betty. I hope that someday you'll realize that I'm right. Hopefully before it's too late."

It was ridiculous. Amber must've lost her mind. If Archie was interested in her, she'd know. They've been best friends since childhood. She'd know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed the direction of this so much during writing haha but I'm glad I have 'cause this is so much better than what I had originally planned haha...I really hope you like it!!!♥︎


	4. regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not updating this for so long haha...I hope you enjoy this chapter <3

Archie was nervous. Very nervous. How would Betty take the news?

He didn’t know if she still had feelings for him and he didn’t want to hurt her.

_ Who was he kidding? _ It had been two years. Another two years of friendship. Another two years to move on and forget what happened.

Of course she didn’t like him anymore. Not like that. And neither did he.

Archie saw Betty waving at him while entering the parking lot. She looked so beautiful, so happy.

He parked and got out of his truck. Betty was now standing right in front him. He smiled. “Hi, Betty,”

***

“Hey, Arch.” Her heart beat quickened.

Betty had been waiting for this moment for such a long time. Since that night two years ago, they had met up a couple of times. Nothing romantic, just two friends hanging out.

Except they weren’t, they never were, because friends don’t look at each other the way Archie always looked at her, the way she always looked at him. Longingly.

She had caught her best friend staring at her like that multiple times over the years but she had always pretended not to notice. And even though they had never done anything, it had always felt like more. She could always feel that tension and connection between them.

But she hadn’t allowed herself to fully admit that to herself or anyone else for that matter. She had tried to date some guys from classes and a colleague from the newspaper - she had even tried to give her relationship with Jughead another chance.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t loved any of them but it just never felt the same. But all this time, she had been too scared to tell Archie. Only when her roommate and friend Amber got into a serious car accident and almost died, had Betty made a firm decision. She didn’t want to waste any more time.

And when Archie had suddenly texted her yesterday announcing that he’d be coming for a spontaneous visit, she had hoped that maybe, just maybe, he had come to that same conclusion.

Now that he was standing in front of her again, and he was as handsome as she remembered. She hugged him tight. Betty didn’t want to let go. She felt so safe in his arms, she always had.

After what felt like an eternity, she let go and looked into his eyes. “Archie.” She said, putting all her love into that word. His name. Seeing him again, touching him made her feel all kinds of emotions. Happiness. Admiration. Desire. Love. Oh, how much she loved him.

Betty tried to find the right words. “Archie, I…” but someone interrupted her. A female voice.

“Archie, honey, could you help me with the bags please?”

Betty turned to look at the person behind him, a brown-haired, very attractive woman coming her direction.

“You must be Betty. Archie has told me so much about you.” The woman approached her and suddenly gave her a quick hug. “I’m so happy to finally meet you.”

Betty was confused and shocked at the same time. “Em, Hi.” She stammered, unsure of what to say.

Archie smiled and put his arm around the woman. “Sydney, this is Betty. My best friend since forever.” He glanced at Betty. “And Betty, this is Sydney, my fianacé.”

_ Fiancé. _ He was engaged. Betty suddenly felt the urge to disappear into the ground. Archie was engaged.

Archie was engaged and she didn’t even know he had had a girlfriend. Archie was engaged. Oh my god.  _ What was she supposed to do now? _ Her world had just collapsed.

Betty tried to make her voice sound as normal as possible under the circumstances.

“Congratulations!” She answered in a fake enthusiastic tone. Her heart broke into a thousand pieces. It felt worse than when he rejected her in sophomore year, worse than when he had left for the Navy without saying goodbye.

“The wedding will be next month. It will be in Riverdale and of course you'll also be invited. “ Sydney chattered.

Betty looked at Archie. And without saying more, she turned around and slowly walked away. Tears started streaming down her face. This was the worst thing she could’ve ever imagined. Archie was engaged. He was engaged and she would never get the chance to be with him.

On her way back to her dorm several people asked her if everything was okay or what happened. Of course it wasn’t. She was not okay and she would never be okay again.

She didn’t care how she looked and how many people saw her, all she could think was: Archie is engaged.

***

Archie witnessed Betty leaving. Again. It felt like a deja-vu. He had recognized the look on her face. It was the same like when he rejected her all these years ago and it sure as hell felt the same. Like he was losing her forever.

He fucked up again. Big time.

Archie wasn’t ready to lose her again. How could he think for one second that he could ever move on from  _ her  _ and marry someone else?

He felt like he had turned into stone. Unable to move. He had to fix it. He punched his truck behind him. Archie didn’t even feel the pain of the punch. All he could feel was desperation and heart break. He might have lost Betty forever and it was his fault, like always.

From far away, he could hear someone calling his name.  _ Sydney _ . He turned around.

“You still love her, don’t you?”

It was no question. He didn’t answer Sydney.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I kinda wanted to write a scene where Archie is engaged for the last chapter already but then while writing it went into a different direction and I have to say I loved them having this moment together last chapter before the heartbreaking stuff...anyway I'm not sure what the next chapter will be...I have already an idea but I ddon't want it to end yet...and with what I think of it would...any ideas? <3


	5. ending?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> after betty finds out about archie's engagement and ran away, archie triess to reach her...

Archie tried to reach her.  _ Please pick up, Betty. Please pick up.  _ When she didn’t, he ran to her room and hammered against the door.

“Open up, Betty! Please. I need to talk to you.” The door opened a little and Amber appeared.

“She doesn’t want to see you and she sure as hell doesn’t wanna talk to you!” The door was closed again. He couldn’t bring himself to leave, so he sat down on the floor and leaned on the cold wood behind him.

Archie tried to call her again but of course she didn’t pick up this time either.

***

Betty stared on the display of her phone. He was calling her. Again. She couldn’t talk to him right now, couldn’t bear to hear his voice.

Amber approached her after closing the door behind her.

“He’s an idiot.” She came closer and gave her a comforting hug.

“How could he do this to me?” Betty sniffed. “I thought…somehow I always thought that if he marries someone, it would be me. Someday.” 

Betty began to smile a little. “He proposed to me, you know. Archie, proposed to me when we were just kids. It was so cute. He got me a heart shaped ring and got on his knee. We were way too young to get married so I told him to ask me again when we’re both 18.”

But that was a long time ago. They didn’t knew anything about love back then. Nothing about heartbreak.

She knew that a childhood promise doesn’t really mean anything but she had hold on to it for so long. To the hope that someday, somehow they would end up together and keep their promise.

_ Foolish _ , Betty thought. It was so foolish of her to assume that after all that time, after all that had happened, his feelings for her were still the same.

How many times had she tried to push her feeling for  _ him _ down. How many times had she tried to move on from  _ him _ , just to end up here again.

Over the years she was so afraid of being rejected by him again, that she tried to convince herself that being his best friend was enough, being in his life was enough. But that wasn’t true. It would never be enough.

She wanted him, she had always wanted him and now it was clear that he didn’t return her feelings. Not anymore.

Maybe she had pushed him away too many times.

***

Suddenly the door behind Archie opened again and a blonde, familiar woman appeared. Betty.

Betty sat down on his left and began to play with a wisp of hair. Archie couldn’t bear the silence between them.

“Say something, Please.” Betty laughed perplexedly. “What am I supposed to say, Archie?” He was quiet. “Am I supposed to say that I’m happy for you, Archie? That I wish you two the best?” 

Archie stayed silent.

“And I do, I am. I want you to be happy, Archie.” She reduced her voice “But I…” Betty started crying again. “The truth is, Archie - that I wanted you to be happy with me.”

Archie didn’t know what to say.

***

Betty suddenly stood up and walked away from him again. She couldn’t do this anymore. It slowly began to rain but she didn’t care. Her clothes and face were soaked in tears anyway.

“Betty, wait!” Archie ran after her, she kept walking. “Betty, wait!” he got faster and faster.

When he had almost caught up with her she turned around. “Why, Arch?” She screamed. “Why should I listen to anything else you say?” She had stopped.

“You’re engaged, Archie.” She started crying again. “You’re engaged to her. Give me one good reason why I should ever talk to you again.” Betty was walking away again.

“Because I love you.” Archie screamed. Betty had stopped again. She couldn’t believe what he had just said. “I love you, Betty.” He sighed “ I always have.”

“What about Sydney? What about…” 

“What about her? I’m not losing you ever again.”

Before Betty could stop him, Archie took her hand, pulled her back and kissed her. It was so passionate, so all-consuming. She kissed him back and put her hands around his neck.

“Shouldn’t we get inside?” Betty asked after a while, giggling. “We’ll get wet.” Archie shook his head “I don’t care.” He answered and kissed her again. And for a moment everything was perfect.

After a moment, she pulled away again. “I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is very short haha but I couldn't think of anything else..this is the last chapter of this fanfic but maybe I'll continue to write other scenes...who knows...thank you for everyone who read this!!! it means so much to me!!! <33

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it haha..If you have any suggestions about scenes just tell me♥︎


End file.
